Rise of a Shinobi
by burningleaf892
Summary: A retake on Shinobi Tales by Antire5. Desperate to become a Shinobi, Sasaku proves that he is willing to do whatever it takes to reach his goal. Many obstacles bar his way, from his own teacher to his arch-nemisis, Horo, a dark man from his past. But when a bigger threat arises, will Sasaku have the heart to make the right decision? Rated T just in case. Note: plot focuses on OC.
1. Chapter 1

Authors Note: The original story is called Shinobi Tales by Antire5. It had potential, but I didn't like what the author did with it. Everything used with permission.

Also, I haven't much followed the Naruto manga lately, so I'm going to stick with the storys original premise of the ten tailed tiger and not try to get the actual ten tailed demon and the sage and all that good stuff from the manga in there. Don't hate, I believe in multiverse. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

A young man with rusty colored hair sat behind a desk. He was known as Gaara, and in three months time, he would succeed his father as the Kazekage, leader of the Hidden Sand Village and the Wind Country. His eyes were locked on those of a boy about a year older than his own fifteen years. The boy stood tall and proud, yet there was pain in his jade green eyes; pain he hid very well. He also had shaggy midnight hair and almond skin which seemed like it was natural to this very desert.

The boy, Sasaku, glared at Gaara, as though it were possible to intimidate him into changing his mind. Gaara returned the glare with a look which was absolutely devoid of emotion. He felt slightly sorry for Sasaku, but the matter was a simple one. No matter what anger or hurt Sasaku felt, Gaara would force himself to remain strong in his decision.

"I didn't come all this way," Sasaku growled, "Just so I could be turned down now." His right hand rested on the pomel of one of the katanas which rested on his waist in emerald green sheaths. Gaara felt no threat from the gesture, but he did wonder if Sasaku would be willing to go that far.

"I'm sorry," Gaara said, "But at your age, it would be difficult at best to train you effectively. I cannot see how you could possibly become a full-fledged shinobi in even a few years. I believe training you would be counterproductive."

A shadow passed over Sasaku's face as he looked at the ground. "I realize my country gets very little respect from the people of yours," he said, his voice low, "But I am still a warrior. I've been trained to fight. To kill. I have killed." He looked Gaara straight in the eyes. "All I'm asking is for you to help me improve the skills I've already been taught."

Gaara closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, it's not that simple. What you don't understand is how vastly different the shinobi way is from your own Koyan. Your techniques teach you one way to kill, while a shinobi's options are almost limitless. We could do nothing to improve your skills. You would have to start over, fighting what you now consider to be instinct, and each new skill you learned would directly conflict with what you already know." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "Sasaku, what a platoon of forty of your Koyan soldier could do could also be accomplished by a squad of four shinobi."

Sasaku growled, baring his teeth. "I wouldn't underestimate the Koyan Army!" His hand shot inside his jacket and he quickly pulled out a pistol. The two guards that stood at the door both pulled out kunai and took fighting stances, but made no other motion. Gaara continued to stare into Sasaku's eyes. He had no intention of killing Gaara. The gun was pointed right at his left shoulder.

"It's you who seems to have underestimated us if you expect that weapon to be of use," Gaara said calmly. Provoke him, he thought, Find his potential. Sasaku's face hardened as he pulled the trigger and the gun exploded in his hand.

The bullet never reached its target.

A barrier of sand had suddenly appeared, stopping the bullet about a foot from Gaara's shoulder. The small brass bullet fell from the wall of sand slowly onto the desk, and the sand returned to the gourd on Gaara's back it had apparently came from. Sasaku looked shocked. "Any shinobi above a weak genin could do the same thing with a knife," Gaara said casually, "You Koyan call us superhuman, and that is no exaggeration."

Sasaku slowly dropped the gun, his face filled with both rage and shame. Gaara stood and looked at Sasaku. After a moment, Sasaku looked up and met his gaze. Gaara's eyes dropped to the katanas at Sasaku's waist. "If you want to prove yourself," he said slowly, "Use a weapon that actually requires skill."

With a snarl, Sasaku lashed out his two katanas and took a fighting stance, holding the katana in his left hand backwards. He glanced back at the two guards, then returned his attention to Gaara when he saw they still hadn't moved. Gaara had folded his arms, angering Sasaku. What would it take to be taken seriously? "I'm the best in the army when it comes to using blades!"

He leapt over the desk, slashing sideways to get at Gaara. The blade connected with an iron hard wall of sand, jarring his arm and making it go numb. Sasaku then whipped around and tried to go for the other side, but the sand stopped him again. Then when Sasaku went in for a kick, the sand wrapped around his leg and threw him against the far wall.

Sasaku stood up, gasping for breath. "What are you?" he panted, "How are you doing that?"

"This is one of the many things shinobi can do in battle."

"Is it magic?"

One of the guards, a young man in a full black jumpsuit with red face paint, chuckled slightly as he lowered his kunai. "You really don't know anything about us, do you?" Sasaku scowled and tightened his grip on his blades. "What that is is chakra, and it's what we shinobi use to perform our techniques, our jutsu. We start learning to focus our chakra when we begin our training at a very young age. The art is difficult to master."

"Chakra, huh?" Sasaku stopped and thought. Could it possibly be the same as...?

His thought was interrupted when a whip of sand lashed at him, striking him across the chest and knocking him back into the wall. He fell forward, then quickly spun to the side when he saw another tendril of sand heading for him. He slashed at it, causing it to dissipate, showering him with grains of sand. He quickly shook them off and jumped back again, afraid of what Gaara would be able to do with sand on Sasaku's body.

Gaara waved his arm at Sasaku, sending a pillar straight at him. Sasaku tried to move, but another whip of sand had suddenly wrapped around his leg. So he braced himself and held his swords crossed in front of him. The sand hit it, jarring his arms, but he was able to deflect the attack. Then Sasaku slashed at the sand on his ankles, freeing him for movement.

Another attack came from Gaara, and Sasaku spun around it. He felt a sudden rush, a surge of power that he always felt in the heat of battle. The energy flowed into his body, making his reflexes faster, his attacks stronger, and his body more agile. He had been told that a slight blue aura surrounded his body whenever this happened, and his eyes turned gold.

He had dubbed the sensation, Rush.

Gaara seemed surprised for a moment, obviously noticing the change. The two guards even looked more dumbfounded. "That's..." Sasaku grinned and dashed at Gaara, slashing at him with all his might, thinking he might get past Gaara's defenses. His blade was stopped only inches from Gaara's skin, and Sasaku's face was even closer as he eyed Gaara.

A wall of sand suddenly shot up, knocking Sasaku backwards. He felt frustration that he still couldn't land a hit, but pride in getting so close. Gaara was a strong opponent, there was no doubt in that. Sasaku realized he would be lucky to make it out alive if they were actually fighting. With that in mind, he went in again, holding nothing back. As he repeatedly hit with a flurry of attacks, sand shot up, blocking him.

Minutes went by without Sasaku even making a scratch. He felt a sudden panic. He had never been in his Rush for this long before. He felt the energy start to drain from his body. His attacks began to slow down, and the sand began to block Sasaku further and further from Gaara's body. If he kept this up, Sasaku would soon be too tired to walk.

"Stop!" Sasaku said, jumping back. Gaara crossed his arms as Sasaku lowered his swords and began panting. "Enough," he said, "You're right, I underestimated you. I doubt I could master your abilities."

Gaara exchanged looks with his guard in the black suit. "That power you used," Gaara said, "Do you realize what that was?"

"No clue," Sasaku panted, sheathing his swords, "Chakra?"

"Yes," the guard said, "I think you may have opened Kaimon, the first chakra gate." He looked at Gaara, who nodded in agreement and then looked back to Sasaku.

"This changes things." Sasaku's head snapped up, hopeful. He almost didn't want to believe it.

"So you'll train me then?" Sasaku could ignore his exauhstion and stand tall as Gaara stared at him, as if weighing and measuring him. For a long while, there was silence, aside from Sasaku trying to catch his breath. Finally, Gaara spoke.

"I doubt either of us would benefit from you being trained as a Shinobi here in the Sand Village." Sasaku slumped with disappointment, but he sensed there was more. "However, I see potential in you. I will send a letter to the Hokage. I want you to go to the Hidden Leaf Village, I believe you would fit in much better with their ranks."

Sasaku's face lit up. "Thank you!" Sasaku said with a bow, "This means so much to me!"

"We can have a room prepared for you until you are ready to depart."

Sasaku shook his head. "Thanks, but I would rather leave immediately."

"As you wish." Gaara watched as Sasaku exited, bowing to the guards as he left. Gaara sat back down and leaned back in his chair. "Sasaku," he muttered to himself. He sensed that this would not be the last time he heard that name.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sasuke stood in a forest clearing. All around we're wooden training dummies and targets. Standing directly in the middle of them, he glanced around, getting his bearings. Then he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. As he did, a memory resurfaced, unbidden.

_There were four of them. Sasuke recognized them as Orochimaru's bodyguards. Each one stood on a different side of him, staring. "I'll only make you this offer one more time," one of them said, "You can either come with us peacefully, or we can drag you all the way back to the Sound Village."_

Without any hesitation, Sasuke jumped straight up into the air, spinning around in circles. He began throwing kunai left and right, being sure to release them at just the right time.

_Sasuke glared at each of the bodyguards. "I'm not leaving," he said, "Final answer."_

Then Sasuke flipped over himself, eyes still closed, releasing another barrage of shuriken and kunai.

_The shinobi who'd spoke before gave a wicked grin. "So it's the fun way then."_

Sasuke released multiple fireballs from his mouth as he launched his Phoenix Flower Jutsu, then landed with finality. He stood up, opening his eyes. Each of the targets had been struck multiple times. He nodded in satisfaction, then noticed a stray kunai laying next to one of the wooden targets. He frowned and walked over to pick it up, then paused. Someone was coming his way.

A young man with a Chunnin vest appeared in the clearing. "Sasuke Uchiha," the messenger said, "Lady Tsunade has requested to see you."

"Is it urgent?" Sasuke asked. The messenger looked caught off guard for a moment, then shook his head. "Then tell her I'll be there when I'm done training."

"Of course," the messenger replied. He disappeared, and Sasuke picked up the kunai on the ground. He then began to retrieve his weapons from all the targets. He wouldn't settle for anything less than perfection, even if it was just training.

There was a knock on Tsunade's office door. "Enter," she called in a business-like tone. The door opened, and she looked up to see Sasuke walk in. "Sasuke," she said, "I asked to see you hours ago."

"I needed to take care of something." He said it with a certain finality that made Tsunade not want to quesion it. Lately Sasuke had become very serious with his training, almost to the point of obsession.

"No matter," she said, waving off her other questions, "I have an assignment for you." She handed Sasuke a letter she had received that morning from Gaara of the Sand Village. Sasuke took it without a word and began reading over it. Before he was finished, Tsunade began speaking again. "Sasaku has shown some promise in becoming a Shinobi," she said, "He should arrive tomorrow morning, and I assume he will be eager and ready to start his training. I want you to be the one to train him."

Sasuke made no indication he had heard as he finished reading the letter. After a moment, he lowered it and stared into Tsunade's eyes. "It's a waste of time," he said.

Tsunade was taken aback for a moment. "A waste of time?" she said, an edge creeping into her voice, "I'll determine whether it's a waste of time or not. Without even realizing it, this boy has harnessed one of our arts and used it successfully. He could be very powerful if he learned how to focus and control his chakra."

"It would be impossible. Even if he did learn to control his chakra, he still would need to learn the ninja style of fighting. He would be a disgrace to Shinobi by tainting it with his Koyan ways."

Tsunade felt this as more of a blow to her pride than anything. There definitely was a risk that nothing would come of this, but there was a chance there would too, and her old gambling habits told her to take this. "You can never know for sure how it'll turn out Sasuke," she said, keeping her voice as calm as possible, "Didn't it surprise you when you discovered how powerful Naruto had become?"

Sasuke looked away in annoyance. "Even so, why me?"

"You're a Jounin," Tsunade said, "And it's your duty to help train the new Shinobi."

"But I could be so much more useful elsewhere. I could do a real mission, and you want to waste my talents with this Sasaku kid."

Now Tsunade glared at Sasuke, forcing him to look at her. "We have more than enough Jounin to handle things at the moment," she growled, "I don't know if you realize the meaning, but we are at peace right now. The land has been at peace ever since Orochimaru went underground over two years ago. We don't _need_ you right now Sasuke, we hardly have enough work for any of our other Jounin." Sasuke looked away. "When the time comes, and when there is an important mission, I trust few more than I trust you, and I will have you handle it. But right now, I'm ordering you to train this boy."

There was silence for a minute. "So I take it I don't have a choice." Tsunade shook her head. He turned to leave, then stopped for a moment. "When he quits, it's on you." And with that, he walked out. Tsunade sighed and shook her head as the door closed.

The sun was just setting, painting the landscape orange and casting long shadows with the tall trees. The roar of an engine tore through the forest, frightening a family of squirrels and a mother bird nesting her eggs. A motorcycle tore down the worn dirt road which was so often used by travelers. It's rider, Sasaku, had zipped up his leather jacket and wore goggles. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, smelling the air and feeling alive. He could see why Gaara had sent him here. Sasaku would have tolerated the desert, but he felt at home here in this forest, like he was meant to be a part of it.

Then he saw it in the distance. There was the wall of the Hidden Leaf Village. With an eager grin, Sasaku revved the engine even more, speeding towards the village. It took him a quarter of an hour before he finally arrived at the gate and killed the engine. The two Shinobi standing at the gate gave the bike a look, but soon lost interest.

Sasaku got off the bike and lowered the goggles to around his neck, unzipping the jacket as well. He stepped through the gate of the Village, looking around, taking in the buildings that surrounded him. Everything was so different, and yet it all seemed familiar to him. He was drawn towards the colors, the architecture, everything about this place. He had grown up in cities, never knowing anything different. This village was exactly what he had been missing.

Sasaku then turned to the two guards at the gate. "Where can I find Lady Hokage?" he said, his grin never leaving his face. The guards looked caught off guard for a second, then one of them pointed.

"See that building there?" he said, "That's the Hokage mansion, although I doubt she's still seeing people today."

"That's fine," Sasaku said pleasantly, "I'll just go check." He nodded to the two of them and began walking in the direction of the mansion, his excited feet carrying him down the street quickly. He was so close to receiving the training he had come for.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

As Sasaku knocked on the door to the front entrance of the Hokage mansion, he tried to force his excitement down. The door had been locked and was obviously closed, but he still had a slight hope that he might be able to get in tonight. He sat there tapping his foot for a moment before he heard a lock click. The secretary stuck her head out the door and looked Sasaku over. "I'm sorry," she said, "But Lady Tsunade won't be seeing anybody else today."

"Ah, okay," Sasaku said, "My name's Sasaku. I came in case she was still open, but I suppose not."

"Sasaku?" the secretary looked surprised, "She wasnt expecting you until tomorrow." Sasaku smiled without knowing why. "Well you can come first thing in the morning. Do you have a place to stay?"

"I was just gonna see if there were any cheap hotels or something."

"That's what I thought," the dark haired secretary said, "Give me one moment, we have some open apartments at a complex where some of our Shinobi stay. We can get you a room there if you plan to stay for a while." She started closing the door, then stopped. "You do plan to stay a while, right?"

Sasaku stepped back and put his hands behind his head. "As long as I need to!" he replied with a grin. The secretary nodded and ducked inside the doorway. After a few moments, she came back out and handed Sasaku a key, which he pocketed with a quick thanks.

She began leading Sasaku down the street, heading towards the appartments where he would be staying. "I'm Shizune by the way," she said.

"Nice to meet you," Sasaku replied with a smile. He looked around, then motioned with one arm. "This village, I've never seen anything like it."

"That's right," Shizune said, "You grew up in the cities, right? I've heard it's crowded in Koya." Sasaku nodded.

"Can't hardly move through the streets. It's an easy place to become invisible."

"Sounds... Different." Shizune seemed to think for a moment. "Tsunade let me read the letter Gaara sent. You seem very determined to become a Shinobi."

Sasaku's grin grew even more. "I'm already the strongest I can be with the training I can get from Koya," he said, "And I plan to do the same here!"

Shizune couldn't help but admire his enthusiasm. "So why do you want it so bad?"

Sasaku seemed to hesitate, and his grin started to fade ever so slightly. Shizune saw pain in his eyes, but it was hidden quickly. Sasaku's whole demeanor instantly became sober, and his pace slowed slightly. "It's not really a want," he said, "It's something I need to do."

Not knowing how to respond, Shizune led him down one more block in silence, then up a flight of stairs to a door. "Here you are," she said, "If you need anything else, you know where to find me."

"Thank you!" Sasaku said. His full smile had returned, and Shizune smiled herself as she walked away. Sasaku then turned and stepped into the room. Inside was a cozy sitting area which connected straight to the kitchen. There was a door that led to the bedroom, and another to the bathroom, and that was it. _Small_, he thought, _But I can manage_.

He set his backpack down on the couch and walked over to the window. He stood and stared at the sunset, then closed his eyes. A tear rolled down his cheek. Then he turned around and began unloading what few items he had in his backpack.

Sasuke sat on the roof of a building with a white haired man wearing a mask, who's headband covered one of his eyes. "So, that's your new student?" the white haired man, Kakashi, asked. Sasuke said nothing as he watched Sasaaku and Shizune separate and Sasaku walk into his appartment. The door closed, and Kakashi chuckled. "To think, just a few years ago, I was training you guys. Now you get to pass on all my lessons."

"This is a waste of my talents," Sasuke said, "And Tsunade knows that. Why do I get stuck doing this?" Kakashi sighed, not knowing how to respond. The two sat in silence for a moment.

"You should test him," Kakashi said, "See what he's got."

"I've already got something in mind."

Under his mask, Kakashi smiled. "You always know what to do, don't you?"

Sasuke just continued to stare at Sasaku's door.

Sasaku stepped out into the brisk night air. He took in a deep breath, loving the smell of the forest that seemed to permeate the air. He began walking with the intention of learning the layout of the village. He would be spending a long time here, he might as well figure out where all the shops were.

He walked for a half hour all over the side of town near his appartment. In the city, this time of night would be crowded with people going out to get drinks our going to clubs. There only seemed to be a few of those types here, but for the most part, the village was beginning to wind down for the night. Within another hour, most of the shops were closed, with the exception of some restaurants and the bars. It seemed strange for Sasaku to just have everything shut down, and even stranger to him was the fact that he was suddenly alone on the street when he started heading back.

Sasaku suddenly felt himself shiver. He turned and looked behind him, but there was nothing there. He continued to peer for a moment longer, but nothing popped out at him. He started walking again, an uneasy feeling in his stomach. Then he heard a footstep, and felt a knife pressed to his throat. "Your money," said a cool voice, "Give it to me."

Hands shaking, Sasaku dug into his pocket and pulled out a coin pouch. He dropped it onto the floor next to him. He didn't even hear it hit the ground, and then he realized the knife wasn't at his throat anymore. He turned to look, and saw that nobody was there. He looked around, then put a hand up to his throat and began massaging it. A ninja, he thought, I was robbed by a ninja.

His hands were still shaking as he quickly walked to report the theft to the authorities.

Kakashi looked up as Sasuke appeared in front of him. "So," he asked, "How'd it go?"

Sasuke bounced the pouch of money in his palm. "The kid has no courage," he said, "No fight." He snatched the bag from the air and stopped bouncing it. "I bet he doesn't last a week."

"I said the same thing about you three," Kakashi said, leaning back. Sasuke looked away. "It wouldn't hurt to give him a chance."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sasaku woke bright and early the next morning, getting ready as quickly as he could. As he stood in the shower, he shuddered. He thought back to how easily he had lost all the money he had been carrying, glad he had already stashed the majority of it in his appartment. He knew that back in Koya, he would have fought, even if the robber had a gun. But here, in Konoha, he knew that he wouldn't stand a chance against a ninja. Gaara had proven that to him.

He shook his head and turned off the shower, dressing quickly. He wore his leather jacket with a tight white shirt under it, and dark pants with heavy black boots, along with the ever present goggles around his neck. Lastly, he belted his twin katanas on his left hip, admiring the craftsmanship of their emerald colored sheathes. With a breath of excitement, he stepped out his front door and began walking towards the Hokage mansion.

His feet couldn't carry him fast enough, and soon Sasaku found himself jogging until he reached the stairs that led up to the door of the mansion. He knocked, and then stepped inside to a lobby, where Shizune sat at a desk. She glanced up. "I thought you might come this early," she said, "Go right up the stairs there until you see Lady Tsunade's office."

"Thank you!" Sassaku said, grinning and bowing. He then hurried up the stairs and down the rounded hallway until he reached a door that said _Hokage's Office_. He knocked twice.

"Come in," came the business-like voice of who Sassaku assumed to be the Hokage. He turned the doorknob and stepped inside. The woman sitting at the desk was not what he had expected, but she had a certain authority about her that made Sasaku positive she was Lady Tsunade. "May I help you?" she asked.

"My name is Sasaku Enkou," Sasaku said, forcing himself not to let his eyes drift lower than her face, "I assume you got the letter from Gaara?"

"Ah, Sasaku," Tsunade said, pushing a stack of papers she was looking at to the side, "So you've arrived. I assume you will want to start your training immediately?" Sasaku nodded. Tsunade had expected as much. "Then go to this training field." She briefly explained to Sasaku how to get there. "Ill notify your instuctor and have him come immediately."

"Thank you very much!" Sasaku said, "I promise you won't regret this!"

Tsunade briefly wondered if he would be able to keep that promise. "If there's nothing else, then go wait at the field." Sasaku bowed and thanked her again as he left the office.

After twenty minutes of waiting, Sasaku decided he needed to do something or he would explode. He was in the middle of a large grassy field with forest surrounding him, and three wooden posts a little ways away. Even further was a black monument covered with names of Shinobi. Sasaku stood somewhere in between the posts and the monument, and whipped out his swords, holding the one in his left hand backwards.

He began to perform katas that his trainer in the army had shown him, moving slowly, making deliberate and exaggerated motions. After each strike, he would pause and hold the position for a moment before moving on to the next one. A few minutes went by before Sasaku finished, and he immediately moved on to the next kata, this one being more difficult. He also made it a point to do the strikes slightly faster now, and with more strength.

More time went by, but Sasaku didn't seem to notice much as he went from form to form, going through over a half dozen katas, each significantly more difficult than the last. By the time he reached his last one, he was making his strikes as fast as he could, letting out a shout with each one, and only pausing for a heartbeat. In the middle of the kata, Sasaku noticed a raven haired boy had appeared, and the two made eye contact for a moment.

Suddenly, with the drive to finish his kata, Sasaku felt the energy flow into him from the Rush. His eyes flashed to gold, and a blue aura surrounded him. He began to flow through the motions with such an intensity, he thought he might hurt himself. Yet every move, every position, everything was somehow perfect. He finished the kata in a few minutes, ending on the final strike with a shout. He held the pose for a few moments, and the Rush drained from him, leaving him with a familiar sense of fatigue.

He turned around and looked to his teacher, smiling. "Well?" he said.

The boy showed no sign of emotion, only nodded towards him. "When you open the gate," he said, "Can you control that?"

Sasaku was a little surprised. "Not really," he said, "It's something that just kind of happens."

His teacher seemed to be considering something, then shook his head. He reached into his pocket, then removed something and tossed it at Sasaku. Sasaku instinctively grabbed it, then looked in surprise to see his coin pouch. He looked up at the raven-haired boy in disbelief, then swallowed, knowing he had somehow failed some kind of test.

"Look," he said, "The only reason I didn't fight back is because I know what Shinobi are capable of. I know that right now, I probably wouldn't stand a chance against the weakest of you. That's why I'm here to train, I want to change that."

"A Shinobi is never afraid to die," the boy said, "He will jump into a battle no matter the odds. He will face an enemy no matter how powerful. If a Shinobi knows he is going to die in battle, then he will die with honor, or he will live in shame. If you want to be one of us, you need to become fearless against death."

Sasaku wasn't surprised, but he still felt the need to defend his actions. "Should I really just throw my life away like that?" he said, "Just over a few coins? Isn't my life more important?" The boy shook his head.

"The value of your life isn't the point," he said, "The point is that a Shinobi will defend himself, and face any challenge. And until you give me a reason to believe otherwise, I expect you to live by that rule." Sasaku looked down at the ground, unsure of what to say. The boy turned away. "If you want out, Koyan, now's the times."

Sasaku looked up and stared the boy right in the eyes. "I'll do whatever it takes!" he said, "I will become a Shinobi!" He paused, unsure if he should continue. "I don't agree with you at all, but I will live by it. I will never put my life before a challenge! And I will do that until I can convince you."

The boy looked surprised, but was slightly impressed. "My name is Sasuke," he said, "Follow me."

"The first thing you need to know about Shinobi, is that all our moves, all our fighting, it's all based on our ability to focus and use our chakra. Even our taijutsu, our hand-to-hand combat, relies on our chakra. When you open Kaimon, that fills you with chakra. However, it is a very limited amount, since you have never trained with it before. I'm going to teach you how to summon your chakra at will, and use it when necessary."

Sasaku listened intently. They were standing in the forest now, next to a small pond. Sasuke made a hand sign. "Let me show you just a few of the things a Shinobi can do with his chakra." He then stepped out onto the pond, and proceeded to walk across the water. Sasaku stared, dumbfounded. He would never have expected to see anything like this.

Then Sasuke jumped up high into the air, doing a corkscrew flip, and landing upside down, his feet planted firmly on the bottom of a tree branch. He then suddenly vanished, and appeared next to Sasaku. He lashed at Sasaku with a kunai, and on instinct, Sasaku lashed out his swords and blocked the attack. He stopped suddenly, realizing his Rush had been activated by the attack. "Your ability to use Kaimon is triggered by instinct," Sasuke concluded, "You must learn to control it on your own."

Sasaku lashed with his blades at Sasuke, who dodged out of the way. He threw his kunai at Sasaku, who barely dodged it. Then Sasaku spun around and tried to hit Sasuke in the side. He ducked under the blades and hit Sasaku in the stomach, causing him to stumble backwards. "Taijutsu," Sasuke said, "A ninja's ability to fight with his weapons and his body."

Sasaku growled and went in for another attack, which Sasuke blocked easily. He then parried Sasaku's arm and grabbed it. Using the momentum of Sasaku's last swing, Sasuke drove him into the ground. Sasaku growled and stood up, looking back to Sasuke, who stood there with his arms crossed. Sasaku slashed at him, but Sasuke made no movement. The sword never connected, but passed right through Sasuke's form, as if he weren't there.

Sasaku looked in suprise, then looked around. Dozens of apparitions of Sasuke were appearing all over, in the trees and the shadows on the ground. The entire forest suddenly became wavy, and Sasuke's voice echoed from no place in particular. "Genjutsu," he said, "A ninja's ability to trick the minds of others." Sasaku continued to spin around, when suddenly, one of the Sasukes was in front of him. He was struck in the jaw, and flew backwards. The forest suddenly became real again, and all of the phantom Sasukes vanished.

Sasaku wiped the blood from his mouth, then came at Sasuke with a roar, the aura from his Rush flaring. Sasuke ducked under the first stroke, but Sasaku suddenly came with his other sword, barely getting Sasuke across the chest. He grinned in satisfaction as Sasuke stumbled back. Then there was a puff of smoke, and a log was suddenly laying where Sasuke had been. There was a slash in it, one Sasaku's blade had made.

"Ninjutsu," said Sasauke from behind him, causing Sasaku to turn around, "A ninja's ability to focus his chakra to make physical alterations to the world, in both attack and defense." Sasuke made rapid hand signs, then brought a hand to his mouth. From it, he shot a fireball straight at Sasaku, who could only stand there for a moment before jumping out of the way. He lay on the ground for a moment as the smoke cleared, and he looked to see a crater in the ground where the fireball had struck.

As Sasaku lay catching his breath, his Rush faded. Sasuke appeared over him, gazing off into the distance, arms crossed. Sasaku rested his arms on his knees and looked up at him. "Meet me here every day at six in the morning. We don't stop until noon. We start tomorrow." And with that, Sasuke vanished.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sasuke was walking down the street. He had only left Sasaku in the field about an hour before. There were footsteps, and suddenly, Kakashi was walking next to him. "You know," he said, "For somebody who acts like they don't care, you sure seem to be taking this pretty seriously with this Sasaku kid."

"Only as seriously as you'd take it," Sasuke said. Kakashi chuckled.

"My my, was that a joke?" Sasuke didn't laugh, but the corner of his mouth began to form a smile. "In all seriousness though, do you think he has potential?"

Sasuke instantly grew sober again. "Its there, but barely. It will be a miracle if he even reaches Genin level."

"Then why waste your time with him?" Sasuke stopped walking, and Kakashi stopped only a moment later.

"I know what you're trying to do," he said, "You're trying to find out if I actually care about this boy. The only reason I'm taking this so seriously is because Tsunade made it my task to train him. If he looks bad, it makes me a bad teacher, and I won't let that happen."

Sasuke continued walking, and Kakashi simply stared after him. He looked away and sighed. "If you were anyone else," he said, "I might've thought the selfish thing was just an act."

Sasaku was walking down the street, his arms filled with six grocery bags. He knew he needed the food to be stocked up, but it had put a bigger dent in his savings than he had hoped. I'll have to find a job soon, he thought, but with all my training, am I even going to have the energy. Focused on his thoughts, he rounded a corner and bumped into somebody, dropping two of the bags he was holding.

He swore quietly. "Ah!" came a girls voice, "I am so sorry!" Sasaku looked up to see a tall girl with dark hair cut into an angel cut. He smiled reassuringly at her.

"It's fine," he said, "No big deal."

"I'm sorry, that was my fault," the girl went on, stooping down to pick up the spilled groceries. Sasaku noticed she was starting to blush and seemed flustered. He knelt down next to her, setting down two more bags as he held the last two with one arm, balancing them on his leg. The girl continued to mutter a stream of apologies as the two picked up the spilled contents.

"It's fine!" Sasaku finally said, cutting her off with a laugh. She stopped and looked at him, then looked away, blushing. They picked up the last few items, and Sasaku stood up with all the bags again. "There, see, it's fine," he said, closing his eyes and smiling at her, "A few bruised apples won't kill me!"

"O-okay. I'm really sorry!" she said. Sasaku started walking again, then stumbled a moment and almost lost one of the bags. Sasaku swore quickly, and the girl caught it with a gasp.

"You wanna do me a favor?" Sasaku led, sticking his tounge out. The girl nodded, still blushing, and held onto the bag Sasaku had dropped, also grabbing one more from him. "Thanks, I appreciate it," he said, "My appartment's just around the corner."

"O-of course, sorry about-"

"You apologize to much," Sasaku said, smiling at her again, "Relax, you're making up for it now." The girl stared at Sasaku for a moment, then looked away, keeping pace with him. "I'm Sasaku!" he said, "You?"

"H-hinata," she replied after a moments hesitation.

"Hinata," Sasaku repeated, "Well I just moved into the village. Great set up you've got here! It sure beats the cities."

"Cities?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah, I'm originally from Koya!"

"Oh."

"I love it, there's no crowds. And it's so open!" There was silence for a moment as they walked. "You don't talk much, do you?"

Hinata gave an embarrassed smile. "I'm glad you're enjoying it here." Sasaku grinned and looked away. Then he noticed something.

"That headband," he said, "You're a Shinobi?"

"Yes," Hinata said quietly.

"So what, are you a Genin then?"

"Chunnin, actually," she said a little more confidently, "The exams were just last month."

"No way!" Sasaku exclaimed in mock shock, "A cute thing like you? Chunnin?" Hinata blushed and smiled, looking away. "So I guess that means you've seen a lot of action?" Hinata blushed even more, and Sasaku laughed and elbowed her playfully. "Not like that!" Then Hinata laughed out loud, and Sasaku couldn't help but smile. "But seriously, if there's any good stories, I'd love to hear them."

"I don't think I've had to many interesting experiences," Hinata said. She seemed more comfortable now.

"Sure you have!" Sasaku said, "Well, maybe I'll find them fascinating. I don't see a lot of this stuff, this jutsu or anything. But I guess it's pretty common among you Shinobi. For all I know, you've got special powers that seem like nothing to you, but they would probably kill a regular guy like me."

Hinata smiled as they walked up the stairs. "You're not wrong," she said. Sasaku stopped in front of his door.

"Well, home sweet home," he said, working his hand in his pocket to grab his key while somehow managing to hold all four bags. "Thanks for helping me out!"

"Of course," Hinata said with a nod. Sasaku grabbed his key, but as he was sliding it into the lock, one of the bags slipped out from his arm.

"Son of a-!" He stopped and looked up to see Hinata giggling. He looked at her again with mock suprise on his face. "Are you laughing at me?"

"N-no!" Hinata blushed, kneeling to help Sasaku pick up the bag. He grinned and waved her off.

"Just go set yours inside on the table, kay?"

"O-okay," Hinata said, standing and going into Sasaku's appartment. He sat the bags down and quickly began collecting the fallen items again, swearing at himself. Then he scooped up the bags in a way where he knew he would only be able to make it to the table, then hurried inside. Hinata had just set her bags down when Sasaku dropped his on the table next to her, making her jump. Sasaku then stepped back and paused, as if waiting for something.

"Alright," he said with relief, "Alright, we're good!" Hinata giggled again, and Sasaku couldn't help but laugh at his own stupidity. "Well thank you very much!" Sasaku said, escorting Hinata to the door.

"My pleasure," Hinata said with a smile. She stepped out the door.

"Hope to see you around!"

"Bye, Sasaku!" Hinata called over her shoulder, giving Sasaku a wave. Sasaku waved, and he realized he had a stupid grin on his face.

He shut the door, then turned and flopped down on the couch, closing his eyes, the smile never leaving.

*Editors note: ...dafuq did I just read?

*Authors note: to keep any readers I might actually get, no this will not be OCXHina.


End file.
